Abstract
Summary
1. Force-feeding of purified choline-containing diets devoid of methionine for 3 to 6 days induces fatty liver in adult female rats, but not in adult male rats. Excess lipid accumulates in the periportal region of liver lobule. 2. Force-feeding of threonine-devoid diet for 3 days to adult rats also induces periportal fatty liver but without a sex difference. 3. Occurrence of the same sex difference and the same lobular distribution of fat in the liver by force-feeding methionine devoid diets and by injection of ethionine lends further support to the thesis that ethionine exerts some of its effects through interfering with metabolic role of methionine. 4. Since choline does not protect liver against the effects of methionine deficiency, it appears that methionine must play some role in regulation of lipid content of liver aside from its contribution of methyl groups for synthesis of choline. It is suggested that this role of methionine is related in some as yet unknown manner with the action of androgens.
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